Pro-Palestinian protesters created “substantial” traffic delays on Monday by blocking the Kennedy Expressway access to O’Hare International Airport.
In a Monday morning post on X, formerly Twitter, O’Hare International Airport officials warned, “Vehicular travel into O’Hare may be substantially delayed this morning due to protest activity on I-190. Departing passengers are encouraged to consider alternative modes of transportation to the airport.”
According to a Total Traffic alert, as of 8:23 a.m. on Monday, protesters had blocked outbound lanes of traffic on Kennedy Expressway between Bessie Coleman Drive and O’Hare International Airport. The alert explained that there were “solid traffic” backups on I-90.
NBC Chicago reported that Illinois State Police units were working with Chicago police officers to provide traffic control on Monday.
READ MORE: Major airport blocked by pro-Palestine protestors
A video posted Monday on social media showed empty vehicle lanes at the O’Hare International Airport, with travelers being forced to exit their vehicles and carry their luggage to the airport to avoid additional delays.
According to NBC Chicago, the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications noted that traffic had resumed around 9:40 a.m. after some lanes had been reopened. However, the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications still encouraged travelers to “allow extra time” to drive to O’Hare International Airport.
The Chicago Dissenters, a political activist group, celebrated the chaos at Chicago’s airport in an Instagram post, saying, “Chicagoans are BLOCKING the ENTRANCE to O’Hare International Airport, barring flyers from accessing Terminals 1-3. On this Tax Day, when millions are paying taxes which fund the ongoing U.S and Israeli bombardment of Gaza, protestors seek to take dramatic action, alongside other @a15actions organizers worldwide.”
The pro-Palestinian protesters added, “O’Hare International Airport is one of the largest in the country, and there will be NO business as usual while Palestinians suffer at the hands of American funded bombing by Israel.”
Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, shared a video on social media that showed the traffic issues caused by the pro-Palestinian protesters. The video of the protest, which Rugg captioned as a “clown show,” also showed protesters chanting “Free Palestine.” CBS News reported that the pro-Palestinian protesters also displayed “Free Palestine” and “Stop Genocide” signs.
